FASTER INTERNET=MORE THEFT?

POLITICO
The Chamber of Commerce says digital theft and copyright breaches will be exacerbated as broadband expands to more households.

“The problem is only getting worse as Internet expands and speeds increase,” Mark Esper, head of the Chamber’s Global IP Center said while discussing the White House’s new IP Enforcement Strategy. Illegal downloads cost the music industry lost $12 billion last year, counterfeit drug sales online cost the pharmaceutical industry $46 billion, and pirated copies of software cost the business software industry $53 billion, he said.

When asked about why piracy hot spots like China, India and Russia aren’t involved in ACTA conversations about internet governance, Esper said it makes sense to build an agreement with the other 40 countries first and then bring the greatest offenders into the fold.

In trying to cut down on crime, he said, “you don’t invite the mafia to the table…We will lead by example and hope they change their enforcement strategies.”